Difference
by Roseblade22
Summary: Katara's reflections and experiences after spending one fateful night with Jet. He was the only one who had ever lifted the weight of the world off her shoulders...but was the price something Katara regrets being willing to pay?


**Author's Note: **I'm not entirely sure why I was inspired to write this story. I suddenly felt the need to state opinion that even though the Avatar characters are extraordinary and fictional, they are also teenagers. And despite how Nickelodeon chooses to portray teenage characters, teenagers of any kind think about and have sex. I felt the urge to express this in this story.

Katara might be able to bend water, but strip her of all her extraordinary abilities and she is still a 14-year-old girl who's bound to make mistakes. Unfortunately, the mistake she makes in this story—succumbing to the seduction of an older boy—is one that I know a lot of teenage girls share. I think I chose this situation because it really expresses the vulnerability of those teenage years.

This story is set in Book I, but is apt to give birth to sequels that take place later during the series, all of which will most likely have something to do with teenagers and their intimate, vulnerable, and confusing world.

**PS: **For my fans of "Into the Fire," I'm very sorry I haven't finished it yet. My muse left me suddenly and didn't return to me for over a year. Now that she's back, I'm going to try my best to continue writing, but it won't be easy or instantaneous. I'm in my junior year of college, and an English Major, so I spend the majority of my free time writing term papers and presentations. Writing as an enjoyable pastime is something foreign to me now, but thankfully creating stories is not. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

**Difference**

Katara awoke slowly this morning. Her eyes were heavy-lidded, as if they were resistant to opening somehow. She heard the faint rustlings of the trees surrounding her quaint dwelling—a canvas tent strung up between tree branches. It was the hour of morning where the light is still youthful, but the blue tinge of nighttime still lurked on the horizon and a chill was still caught in the air, like an insect in a spider's web. Turning her face against the pillows beneath it, she breathed in the heavy scent of sweat and dry leaves. The blankets were tangled around her legs and body, shielding most of her from the emergent light of day.

She drew in another breath perfumed with musk and forest. That was Jet's smell.

The events of the previous night began to collect inside the waterbender's skull, like a stream pooling into an earthly basin. Some of the things she recollected she was hesitant to accept. Fumbling limbs and wet kisses, movements between the blankets, how her mind was fixed on feeling nothing more but his skin against hers—things she was amazed at herself for succumbing to. Eventually she surrendered herself to her memories, and she felt a cold chill of shame slide into her insides. What came over her…them…last night? How could she have…done that? With him?

She didn't have much time to reflect. Footsteps outside the door of the tent caused Katara's eyes to snap open in alarm, and she swiftly drew the covers up over her shoulders. Jet entered, and Katara's eyes were instantly drawn to his charismatic smile. She also noted that Jet was without his shirt, and the site, as well as the thought of him seeing her in a likewise situation made her extremely uncomfortable. She sank rapidly and more deeply into the cot, gathering the covers, trying in vain to put as much material between herself and Jet as possible.

The teenage boy noted the tormented look on the waterbender's face. "Relax, it's just me," he purred, his voice as smooth and seductive as melted chocolate.

Katara heard and understood his words, but her body was tense under the sheets, her mind racing to find answers that weren't there. She could not relax; she just stared at Jet in confusion and embarrassment. Jet's brow furrowed for an instant, and then he looked away thoughtfully.

"Jet?" Katara found it terribly difficult to force his name from her lips.

The young warrior glanced her way. "Yes, Katara?"

Katara refused to meet her eyes with his. She opened her mouth and searched for something—anything to say, but was unable to speak. Her memory was continuously flooded with all the things she'd whispered to him the night previous, the blushing flesh, the utter, inexcusable defenselessness of her actions. Her humiliation deepened as the silence between the two teenagers lengthened. Jet was the one who finally broke the quiet.

"Is something wrong?" he asked; a question without purpose.

Katara drew in another breath filled with his scent. This time it seemed so strong her stomach turned inside her. "I made a mistake," she admitted, choking out the words from between her clenched teeth. Her eyes shut tightly to block out the sight of the boy and to hold back tears.

"Mistake?" Jet exclaimed. "What are you talking about?"

The tone of Katara's voice darkened. "You know what I'm talking about, Jet."

She felt the cot shift beside her and felt Jet's arms surround her body, pressing it to him. Katara attempted to resist, but she became powerless in his hands, and yielded. Jet's fingers gently combed through her hair before spreading out against the smoothness of her back, easing a gentle sigh from the waterbender's lips.

Jet kissed her. It was a tender, soft kiss, but deceivingly powerful. It sucked every ounce of strength Katara possessed away from her. Every flick of his tongue raked away more and more of her defenses, and replaced them with yearning moans and ragged breaths. Katara realized that Jet wasn't just a warrior on the battlefield; this kiss was his way of negotiating a peaceful surrender from the young waterbender. Katara's rational mind fluttered weakly, like an injured butterfly, before dropping and drowning into the deepening pool that was her desire. He demanded conquest, and his methods were agonizingly efficient.

This was her flaw, her ultimate weakness. Katara was a creature that craved structure and balance—something her world had been terribly lacking of in recent years. Ever since her mother had died at the hands of the Fire Nation, the burden of keeping her family from falling apart was hers to manage, and it was no different with Sokka and Aang. She was the glue that kept those she loved fastened together, she was the one the boys turned to for advice and support and comfort. They were dependent on her, and Katara, in a way, controlled the group's movements. She assumed the responsibility without complaint, but deep in her heart of hearts, she felt as though the weight was unfairly bestowed. The emotional pain and fear heavily outweighed Katara's natural strength, yet she was presented with no other choice. To crumble under the pressure would spell certain disaster for them all.

Jet, however, allowed Katara release from the building strain. From the start Jet was a person who took charge—a natural-born leader. He conducted the Freedom Fighters every move, demanding control over every situation, and he persevered. This quality about Jet made Katara instantly attracted to him, but she never knew exactly how potent it was until last night…when Jet somehow seduced her into his tent, to speak with her about some plans he had made, he said. But then he kissed her, and at that moment his essence spilled from his lips into her insides, and began waging war on Katara's judgment. His dominating gaze told her she no longer needed to be in control, and she welcomed the opportunity to turn her burden onto his broad, much stronger shoulders. Somewhere between the kisses and groping fingers, Jet enjoyed the spoils of his small war, and her childhood innocence was forfeited.

Katara was suddenly thrust back into the present when Jet pulled away from the kiss. Her shame and humiliation, forgotten at the touch of his lips, returned. As the girl gathered the blankets against her body once again, Jet studied her with interest.

"How could something that felt like that be a mistake?" He asked slyly, a smirk slowly crawling up his face.

Katara stared at him, unsure of what to think. "Last night…felt wrong." She stuttered nervously.

Jet blinked, and his smirking lips twitched slightly. "But it felt good, didn't it?"

The stubborn reply of "No, it didn't!" nearly slipped from the waterbender's lips, but Katara couldn't bring herself to lie. Instead she hung her head lower in defeat, her dark hair spilling over her bare shoulders and concealing her face. Jet reached forward and gingerly tucked a few strands behind her ear.

"Katara, can I ask you something?" he inquired softly. Then, without the patience to wait for an answer, he continued. "It was your first time, huh?"

A breath of air escaped the waterbender's mouth, and Jet could not decipher what emotion had released it. Then Katara tilted her head ever so slightly in his direction and whispered a critical word: "Yes." Her voice was cold and rippling with emotion—like ice water.

Jet reaction was casual and careless. "Wow. I never would have known."

The words stung Katara like the snap of a whip. Was that Jet's way of telling her she was "good?" She slapped a hand over her mouth to prevent an audible sob from escaping, and turned away from him again, her hair sweeping over her shoulders and back, like waves in a chocolate sea. Jet couldn't resist reaching out and touching her again. This time his hands hungered for more flesh to feed on, and Katara was soon pressed under his body, her vivid memories of the night before beginning to revive themselves.

This time, however, Jet's kisses and caresses ignited something other than lust in the waterbender's soul. Anger blossomed inside her like a poisonous plant. How dare Jet take advantage of her weaknesses like this? Katara grimaced as Jet brushed his lips against the nape of her neck, glazing her skin with his hot breath. She shuffled under him.

"Get off of me, Jet," she commanded, refusing to let her body feel anything other than the quiet hum of rage inside her.

Jet ignored her request, instead glancing at her the way an adult glances at a disobedient child. "Katara," he grunted disapprovingly.

The girl placed her hands against his bare chest and pushed upward. Jet resisted for an instant, but a fierce and dangerous flash in Katara's eyes made him retreat, releasing her from his weight. Katara leapt up and off the cot, carefully twisting the blankets to hide her bare flesh, her eyes searching the room for her discarded clothes. Jet looked on in confusion.

"Katara, what are you doing?" he asked with an air of annoyance in his voice.

The waterbender spun around, her eyes pools of both rage and hurt. "I'm leaving. Today, with Aang and Sokka, I'm leaving. I've had enough of this place, and of _you_."

Jet blinked. "What? Katara, you can't leave! What about our plans? We have a duty to liberate the village!"

He stood up and approached Katara, once again snaking his hands around her shoulders, holding her in place. Katara looked away from his face—that charismatic, smirking face that found it so easy to twist the truth. Sokka's suspicions were correct, but she had only realized this too late. Jet gently kneaded her muscles, forcing Katara to relax against him.

"You don't have to go," he purred seductively. "I need your help…but more importantly, Katara," he grasped one of her hands in his own and gingerly pressed his lips against her fingertips. "I need you."

Katara could have easily succumbed to his spell; even now she felt her heart beginning to flutter, her weakness for Jet's controlling nature resurfacing briefly. But then she wrenched away, gathering her clothes and hastily putting them on. Jet circled her like a bird fluttering around a nest.

"Come on, Katara!" he pleaded. "We can't carry out the plan without you and Aang and your bending!"

"I don't care!" Katara screamed, and hurled the remaining blankets in a bundle at the young warriors face; she fled the shade of the tent. The day was fully realized now, the sunny young in the sky, shining proudly. She shielded her eyes partially to keep out the harsh morning light, but mostly to keep the few passersby from seeing the tears that had finally managed to squeeze out the corners.

When she reached the tent that she, Sokka, and Aang had shared, she entered cautiously. She didn't want Sokka to notice her coming in, though it was unlikely he was awake at this early hour. She couldn't imagine how her older brother would react if he found out…Katara took a deep breath and stepped back into the shade of the tent. Sokka and Aang were sighing gently in their sleep, covers discarded onto the floor and limbs strewn in every direction. Neither one of them stirred.

Good, Katara thought. She could only imagine the interrogation she'd endure if one of them had been awake. Where were you last night? Wait, didn't you go to talk to Jet? Why are you coming home just now? And why is your hair messed up? What could you and Jet have possibly talked about all night? What happened? And then Katara would have to confess, unable to lie blatantly in front of them. She would crumble up in a ball of tears and shame, and as Aang would stand above her, frozen, unable to understand what had happened. Sokka's first reaction would be disbelief, but that would quickly give birth to rage, and it wouldn't be long before he was at Jet's tent trying to bash his head in. No, Katara couldn't let things like that happen. She wouldn't be responsible for that.

The waterbender silently moved about the small space, searching through her things. She pinned up her hair and braided it, smoothed the wrinkles in her clothes, and cluttered her cot to make it look as though it had been slept in. After all that, she stood in the center of the tent, unsure of what to do next. She sucked in a breath, and realized that she was extremely lonely. Katara knelt down next to the young Avatar's bed and placed her slender fingers lightly on his arm. Aang was easy to awake, and he opened his eyes sleepily to look at her.

"Katara?" he asked wearily.

The waterbender smiled at him, but the expression was without its usual strength. Luckily for her the airbender didn't notice. "Yeah, it's me." She replied softly, so she wouldn't wake Sokka. "Good morning."

"Where were you last night?" Aang inquired, rubbing his eyes. "You went off to talk to Jet and when we went to bed you still weren't back yet. Sokka was getting worried."

Katara frowned slightly, but quickly concealed it. "Sokka is a worrywart. Jet and I just went for a long walk. It was…nice." She struggled to push out the last word.

"Oh." Grunted the boy, shifted his weight a little. He blinked a few more times, and then sat upright. "I suppose it's time to get up. Jet said we'd have a busy day today!" The young Avatar guided himself up with a small breeze of air, and quickly began dressing.

"Wha? Sokka had overheard the small whispers, and he was stirring. His heavy-lidded eyes rested on Katara, and she tried her best to smile normally at him.

"Morning, big brother." She chirped as lively as she could.

The teenager groaned at her and turned over. "I don't want to get up, Katara!" He whined, like he was a child again. Aang quickly moved past Katara to shake the other boy.

"Come on, Sokka! Today's the day we carry out Jet's plan!" He announced excitedly, his gray eyes wide and innocent, like puddles in the rain.

Sokka grumbled something impolite about Jet and his glorified plan under his breath, and suddenly Katara remembered that she would have to remedy this. She couldn't stand to spend one more day in this place. Everything she looked at reminded her of her mistake, and Jet: The colors of the leaves and how they coordinated with the warrior's clothing, the small pockets of darkness between branches and the insides of tents, the messy cots, and the smell. The smell of dry leaves was everywhere. Everything smelled like him here.

"Actually, I have some bad news." She said, a little too loudly than was required. She felt the need to force the words—these false words—out of her mouth. She hated to have to lie. "Jet and I…talked a lot last night. He decided that it would be best if we left today."

Aang's excited face dropped, while Sokka turned over again, a look of skepticism crossed over his features. "What are you talking about?" The older boy interrogated. "Yesterday all he could talk about was how much he needed us for his stupid plans."

"Well, I…" Katara searched for something that would the boys would believe. "I talked to him about how important it was that we get to the North Pole. He got concerned that he was holding us up, so he told me we could leave today if we wanted."

Sokka raised an eyebrow. "Really? Somehow I have a hard time believing that."

Katara looked at Aang, who was gazing at the floor, looking quite sad. "Aang, it is our priority to find someone to teach you waterbending. If Jet wants us to go, I think that's best."

"I couldn't agree more." Sokka said, huffing. "You both know that I don't like Jet in the least."

"Okay…" the Avatar admitted, glancing upwards. "I suppose it's the most important thing—to learn to waterbend, I mean."

Sokka silently pumped one arm in the air in celebration. Katara made sure to shoot him a disapproving look, but in truth she was gladder than he was to be leaving. The trio scurried around their tent, searching for personal belongings and stuffing them into sacks.

Katara's mind was revolving like a trapped ocean current the entire time. The events of last night and this morning played over and over in her head, like a personal puppet theatre. She was the puppet, and Jet the puppet master. She still had a hard time accepting that she had been so easily swayed by him, that she was seduced by his handsomeness and romantic words. The hardest part was admitting to herself that she had enjoyed it in some way—she had felt free for a moment. She hadn't been aware of the world and its troubles and how she was destined to play a part in changing it. Now the burden that had been bestowed upon her was back upon her shoulders, but somehow it was different than before.

After the group had finished packing they emerged from the tent to find that the treetops were buzzing with life. Birds and hogmonkies moved about the branches, glancing down at the human inhabitants every so often. The Freedom Fighters had awaken, and were busy with their own projects. Katara, Sokka, and Aang, began to make their way to the deck where they could lower themselves and their belongings to the ground.

"Hey, look! There's Jet!" The young Avatar shouted and Katara followed his pointed finger to the face of the boy she'd suddenly grown to distrust, who had been sharing breakfast with several other young warriors.

Jet arose from the table, his eyes darting from Sokka, to Aang, then Katara. He looked surprised, but quickly concealed any trace of it under his trademark grin.

"Leaving so soon?" He asked charismatically to the group, but centering his gaze on the young waterbender.

Katara found herself unable to do anything but glare back at his narrow eyes. Fortunately, Sokka was there to speak up. "Yeah, and you know something?" The teenager spouted with obvious satisfaction. "I couldn't be happier!"

Jet granted Sokka an unfriendly glance, but turned back to Katara. Aang swooped forward, a burst of air swirling around his small frame.

"Thanks for considering how important it is for me to learn waterbending, Jet!" He exclaimed. "Katara told us how concerned you were."

Jet glanced once again at the whole of the group. For an instant, Katara was terrified he would call her bluff and tell everybody about what they'd done last night. But Jet glanced downward for a moment, defeated.

"I'm glad she told you." He said, gazing back up at the waterbender. For some reason, Katara could see no emotions whatsoever in his eyes. The young warrior then turned towards Aang, and gave him a playful salute. "Good luck, Aang. I know you'll do the free world good."

"Thanks," replied the youthful Avatar.

"Come on, guys," Sokka urged impatiently, hoisting up his supplies in preparation for Appa, who floated down from the treetops like a great white cloud. The small group of young people loaded the flying bison with their provisions and exchanged quite goodbyes with Jet and the rest of his Freedom Fighters. Except for Katara. She remained silent, pretending to be preoccupied with checking to make sure she had everything. As she shuffled through the boys' things, she secretly watched Jet out of the corner of her eye.

He wasn't watching her now. He was smiling and enjoying one last chat with Aang. Like nothing had ever happened. Like nothing was different. Katara scowled, then turned to hide it.

When they rose up from between the red-brown boughs and begin to float above the sea of leaves into the morning sky, Katara was relieved to breathe in air that didn't smell like dry leaves. The air at higher altitudes was crisp and clean, free of any invasive scents. The sun above warmed her back, and she couldn't help but remember the weight she'd felt lifted the night before. Was it merely an illusion, how she'd experienced last night?

She felt different somehow, but not shameful. No…no, her shame had subsided as soon as she'd seen the defeated look in Jet's eyes. I made a smile crease her face for some reason. She felt like she'd somehow won a silent war.

"What are you smiling about?" Sokka asked suddenly, noticing the odd look of reflection on his sister's face.

Katara's expression became nonchalant. "Nothing. It was nothing," she insisted, shrugging her shoulders for added emphasis. Sokka shot her a look of skepticism but then turned away and busied himself by practicing his knotwork.

Katara turned again towards the warmth of the sun. Yes, she had won…something. She wasn't sure what, but it had made her feel stronger. And that made it easier to bear the burden constantly weighing down on her. She was stronger. Different.

Katara glanced back one more time at Sokka and Aang. Neither one of them noticed her eyes on them; they were distracted by the butter-colored rays of sunlight pouring down on them. And neither one of them would every know.

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Thanks for reading, Roseblade22 


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